What We Needed

 Hello Friends

It's been a while.

Truth be told, I had a post written and never posted it.

It didn't feel right.

I know, how very queer of me.

I've not only not written here, but have not written anything.

I usually have a story I'm working on in the background somewhere.

I've felt ragged, I s'poze.

We've been very busy at work and with the garden

and with life and with. . . . 

An example:

This weekend is Father's Day,

Hubby's Birthday & his twin brother's birthday,

and my dad's birthday,

and two graduates (from the same school),

and a wedding.

I don't really consider myself a social person ~

yeah, go ahead and laugh.

We had intended on going camping last weekend

even though we knew there would be many others since

it was Memorial Day weekend, but life happened.

So Hubby suggested we go this past weekend.

May I just say,

three days out of service in the woods

was exactly what we needed.

It was perfect weather.

We had plenty to eat.

And there were very few vehicles at all - maybe half dozen all weekend.

So each day we woke up,

drank our coffee and went for walks.

Hubby went for longer walks.

I took stitching and would stitch then go for a walk,

then go back to stitching, then another walk.

And what might we find on these walks?

Well, let me show you.

I don't even care for mushrooms, but Hubby loves them.

I think total we found about 15-18 lbs.

I do like looking for them.

They would emerge right in camp.

It was amazing.

In case you are wondering, morels, calf brains, chanterelles, and a couple oysters.

Made it home Sunday about lunch time & got busy.

Hubby smoked one batch, and we kept some for fresh,

but the rest went on the dehydrator.

Monday morning, I put the smoked ones on the little dehydrator.

For your reference:

About 5 lbs. of mushrooms fits in a quart jar.

That was a bit of a shocker.

Now we are back at it but with the lingering scent of the fir trees

in our lungs and the sound of the morning birds still in our heads.

It's like fueling up the car.

We can go for a few more miles now.

Wishing you all the peace that nature brings.

 

A Special Gift and A Special Find

 I am just going to say it right out the gate:

I dun got spoiled 😊

As some of you know, 

we have a metal fabrication shop.

I am the only one without a Y chromosome

that I work with.

One of our contractors we work with

is a craftsman with wood as we are with metal.

I was out of the office last Friday.

Hubby was off on a job site so only one of our guys was there.

When Hubby got back to the shop,

he called me to tell me I had a surprise.

I had no clue what he meant.

He said someone really likes me.

I told him I'm mean that nobody likes me 😉 

Well, the fella who does amazing cabinetry

had stopped in with this.

Before your imagination gets going,

he is married and has a family and is a good family guy.

We had invited them to our annual cidering gathering.

You can see our process here.

It's grown to a little event for several families to gather

at our place for some wholesome autumnal fun.

I have yet to use the board, but I will.

I've had to simply admire it for a while before using it.

I love when quality meets up with beauty.

And as if that weren't enough to feel special.

This weekend, Hubby saw that there was an estate sale

and asked if I'd like to go check it out.

Sure!  I need nothing, but sure (heehee).

So we went.

We didn't get much, because like I said,

we don't really need anything, but. . . 

We came home with this little darling.

(Please excuse the mess - garage is a disaster right now)

Isn't she a gem?

Made in 1923 so it's currently a centennial.

It's a 3 burner kerosene cook stove.

I am so excited to use it, I can hardly contain myself.

We are working on getting it cleaned up first.

I will primarily use it for canning out in the summer kitchen

or if the power goes out.

We no longer have a wood stove so I've missed having a back up to electric other than the BBQ.

I'm also excited to use it for canning, because

often electric isn't a consistent heat.

I will have to "play" with it of course,

but once I get it worked out, it should be great.

I'm not usually a materialistic sorta gal,

but I'm feeling pretty spoiled at the moment.

Maybe a new handbag or diamonds do that 

for some ladies, 

but I'll take a cutting board and old cook stove any day!

Just got to thinking.

Do you think maybe food is a priority for me?

Go ahead and roll your eyes or laugh.

It's all good.

I know I'm not normal 😜

 

On the docket for this weekend is dipping candles.

I showed that here.

I am either using my last one or have one more pair.

Either way, I'm due.

October is the perfect month for dipping candles

as the wax hardens quickly (without freezing)

after being dipped.

It's a slow methodic process that brings me peace.

And with all that,

I welcome autumn, the dance of golden leaves,

and the crisp nights that remind us

a new calendar will soon be called for.

I hope you enjoy today for the blessings it bestows.

Have a beautiful week dear friends. 

If you would like to check out my latest video,

here's that link

Groceries: How You Shop Could Cost You

🍅 Bounty 🍆

 Oh Friends~

You have to see this!

I know we, each of us, live in different areas,

but if you look, look closely, it's there.

There is bounty all around us.

Summer can sure be long and hot.

The longer days can become wearisome

and our bodies can certainly tire.

Or is that just me?

(Cayenne)

As many of you know, I grow a garden each year.

It seems by February,

I am raring to get it going and wanting to plant seeds

despite the icy temperatures out of doors.

This year was different.

We had the summer kitchen flood in January,

then the mess to clean up when the roof was repaired in March.

I didn't get much of a break

so by spring I wasn't as ambitious as usual.

My seed starts struggled.

I was lack luster in getting things in the ground,

and I questioned if we would have much at all

by the time harvest rolled around.

The lesson~

There is always a lesson, isn't there?

We are taught, errr well, back in my day anyways - haha!

not to be pompous or proud.

Pride comes before a fall as the saying goes.

It does seem when we are struggling,

we find ourselves most humble.

(Saskatoon berry juice.)

And here is where I must digress for a moment

so you can see the whole picture.

I am aware of the circumstances of our food supply as a nation.

In the eye of world events,

I realize our nation has become dependent upon other

countries for much of our sustenance.  

The area around us is a heavy agriculture area,

and there are a lot of wheat fields in addition to

hay, peas, potatoes and fruits.

Knowing many of the plains states were experiencing

challenging weather and failing crops,

as I was pushing through trying to get my homely little starts

in the ground and wondering if they would even survive,

I looked over the fields and said a prayer not really for myself

but for our collective efforts.

I realize not everyone here is the praying sort.

Stick with me for a minute if you will please.

That was what seems like ages ago,

but in reality was only a few short months ago.

(We lost our canopy, but the bean wall is outrageous this year.)

And here's where the ends meet

with the lesson and the harvest.

They've been pulling great loads of wheat from the surrounding fields.

They harvested peas from the field in front of our house.

The farmer told me to help myself if I wanted any.

I did but didn't abuse the privilege.  

They've began harvesting onions behind our house.

We are able to glean what's left in the field which is substantial.

I am ever grateful.

And those tender little starts that looked like they were

lost of hope,

well they are producing like crazy.

We picked 23 cucumbers from my one plant in 4 days.

Our tomatoes are packed and just coming on.

I have never seen so many tomatoes grow on 

individual plants.

Nearly every plant is loaded.

The "regular" tomatoes are the size of baseballs to softballs.

The Romas are the size of tennis balls.

Hubby said they will probably all turn ripe

about the time he leaves for hunting.

He's probably right!

The grass hay in the field to the side of us looks amazing.

Critters need food too.

The point of all of this is to put a little nudge of inspiration

in your heart.

When you are feeling like you are wilting and might not make it,

remember also, you might just pull through and have 

an abundance, a great bounty.

And just one more little testimony to how bad it was,

in case you don't believe me,

and/or if you just need a laugh~

We had to leave for a couple days shortly after I got things planted.

My folks came to take care of things while we were gone.

My mom, who I joke can plant a pencil and watch it grow,

said, "Your tomatoes are dead.  I watered them because you said to,

but I don't think they'll make it."

Thanks Mom (heehee).

For some reason, I couldn't give up on them.

That little bit of faith is now paying off.

Keep you well,

and until next time,

Many Blessings.

 

It All Went Away

 Not sure how things are going in your area,

but we have had the strangest year in the garden.

Everything is a full three weeks later than normal.

This basket is a good 20"-22" diameter.

As of writing this,

it is mid October.

Our beans and tomatoes are finally "coming on."

My eggplant has produced 2 fruit since spring.

At the moment it has 5 fruit on it.

We are expected to have mild temperatures for the next

week so I should be able to harvest them.

Typically, by the beginning of October,

I have already or am in the process of putting the garden

to bed for winter.

I currently have a couple tomato plants I will be pulling this weekend but the others are loaded both with ripe and green fruit.

We ran pretty low this year since we weren't getting much

in the way of fresh produce from our garden.

It's been a good lesson for me

to get as much as I can while I can.

The current prices at the grocery store are also 

pretty good incentive.

We also got a ton of delicious mild onions.

Well, not a full ton (heehee) but a lot!

I've been sorting them into boxes with brown paper

between layers to preserve some for fresh,

but I've had the dehydrator earning its keep, for sure.

 

In addition, we've been going full throttle at work

so extra time off hasn't been possible.

I could work full time at work and full time at home lately.

Thus the reason for so few posts.

Now to get to what the title is all about.

This year, Hubby put in for an elk hunting tag in Montana

with a long time friend of his who also enjoys bow hunting.

Bow season is earlier than rifle seasons so it's usually quieter.

FYI: MT hunting licenses and tags are expensive!

Well, two weeks before they were scheduled to leave,

his friend had a massive heart attack and flat-lined twice.

He has miraculously lived to tell it himself,

but needless to say, he wasn't able to go hunting.

Hubby went for two long weekends by himself

which neither of us were really wild about.

There is no phone service out there, and it's not an area

either of us is familiar with.

(His friend has hunted there for years.)

The third week of the season, 

he asked if I'd want to go if we took the trailer

and left on Tuesday and came back on Sunday.

For both of us to leave the business,

and for me to leave the garden and kitchen

right when everything was going nuts,

was a difficult decision to make.

I finally thought, you know what?

It's all going to be here when I get back.

I could work myself to the grave, or I could go

and take a break that was very much needed.

So we went~

The first day there, I took three, 3, III naps!

It was beautiful!

We camped right next to a creek off a very remote dirt road.

And for a few days,

it all went away.

No work.

No politics.

No banking or balancing books.

No urgency.

No food preservation.

No worries.

No people.

No noise.

It was so wonderful.

It was the longest vacation we've taken since we've been married, going on 12 years.

We somewhat reluctantly returned home Sunday night about 8PM, and the alarm went off at 4:30 Monday morning.

We've both been going non-stop since we returned,

but for just a couple days,

it all went away.

 

Teaming Up

Hi All.

This might not be a super inspirational post,

but my hope is that it might at least be helpful.

And it might help build friendships and community

which by now, you've probably figured out, I'm all for.

Hucklebunny & Ness

I think you're all smart enough to acknowledge that

some things have been a little difficult to come by lately.

Or if you can find said thing, it might be quite expensive.

Something that dawned on me today

that we've been doing is what I call "teaming up."

A couple friends and my mom and I look out for items

we are each looking for.

An example, I couldn't find the 1/2 gallon canning jars

in our town.

My mom (& dad) have to go to another town about 45 min. away

for doctors appointments so she said she would look.

She called me from the store and asked how many I wanted.

They evidently had a stack of them.

I only needed one box - heehee

She hasn't been able to find coconut oil in the larger tub.

When I was at the store yesterday, I saw some.

The price was 80% higher than last time they had it.

(Yes, 80% - almost double.  I did the math.)

I'm going to look one more place for her before purchasing any.

A friend of mine found a large borax for me

rather than those little boxes.

I have found paprika for her.

I realize it sounds a little silly to share your shopping list,

but it seems to be working well for us.

It's pretty easy also.

I usually have a shopping list so write on it

to look for paprika when at a certain place.

I know it's often easier to order online, 

but even when we place orders online,

we call each other or mention if we see each other

I'm placing an order from Xsite.  Do you need anything?

Often times, with a certain amount shipping is free

or at least less if combined.

The other thing that has come about from doing this

is that we let each other know if we find good deals on an item.

I just found a new shipment of whole pork loins for $2.49/lb.

That's a pretty good price for here and for now

so I shared that information.

We can't control everything that is going on around us,

but we can make the best of what we can do

and be kind and helpful to friends and family.

It has also been a bit of a "stress reliever."

I'm not really sure that is the correct term for what I mean,

but it's very healthy interaction and feels good to help someone

as well as having someone smiling while helping me.

The blessing is in the giving so to speak.

And we've each benefited from doing it.

*Note: When it's really hot, we bring Hucklebunny in the house to cool off a little.  She has her laundry basket and is comfy unless Ness sees her.  She will join her in the basket.  It's adorable, but I think Hucklebunny is less than impressed by it.

Almost St Valentine's ❤️

 It's almost St. Valentine's Day 💖
It's a day I love.
When the kids were little, we had an advent for it.

Each day they got a little tid-bit in their mailbox.

When we first began doing it, they each had a tin cup,

and each morning they would check their tin cup

for a goody.

Then one year, I found little mailboxes.

Those filled with treats was their Valentine that year.

We kept them and used them each year after that.

I still have the tin cups and have given them their mailboxes.

There is even a larger tin cup with a label my daughter made,

because they had each made me a card or surprise.

Alas, my kids are grown.

I just mailed off a little Valentine package to each of them

in this morning's mail.

Several years ago, a friend shared some spice thins with me.

They were a store bought cracker/cookie 

that's now been discontinued.

They were delicious, and I finally found a recipe

 that is remarkably close and equally delicious.

I will share the link to the recipe I used at the end of this post.

So I made some of those and some button-ups.

Button-ups are essentially a shortbread cookie,

partially dunked in chocolate and topped with a cinnamon candy.

I also did some chocolate hearts but had them all boxed up

and had forgotten to take a picture.

Another fun little treat for this week is a blossom.

I have been given multiple starts 

of my great-grandmother's geranium plant.

Each and every one has met its fate.

It is a true deep red.

My mom gave me her plant (from Ggma) at the end of summer.

It needed trimming and was "spent" looking.

I kept 4 stems and stuck them in starter pots of soil.

Three have lived and one died.

Of the 3 that lived, 2 are blooming.

They are certainly a cheery sight during the winter gloom.

They have been fun and easy to propagate.

I don't have room inside so they only get a north facing window.

I guess they don't mind.

And the plant Ma gave me is looking good too.

On a side note:

I also have a pole bean and a tray of spinach planted.

I just can't help myself.

I purchased one of those little green houses on clearance last fall,

but it's still too cold for it.

I will probably set it up the end of the month and

see what kind of trouble I can cause in the garden.

(Never mind the dirty window.  Tis the season.)

All and all, blooms and treats~

It must be Valentine's.

Spice Thins / Pepparkakor

  

~ Quiet ~

 We are making our way through January aren't we?

We've had some wonderful snow storms

and some crazy wind

which actually blew the porch cover off the entrance 

to our house!

I won't go into the silly things that have been done

to this sweet old farm cottage in which we live.

There are better things to dwell upon.

Our temperatures being true winter temps.,

have put a hush on area.

It's one of those quiets you can hear. 

I actually like winter months and long evenings,

though I do miss our wood heat.

And by March, I am among the first chomping at the bit

to be out playing in the dirt.

But for right now I have plenty to do.

I would call this

"the time to keep."

In keeping our homes, there are so many tasks.

It's funny how easily they are overlooked when we are on the run,

but slow down for a few minutes or sit a little longer in the evening and you begin to notice.

How did that happen?

Or, when did that get there?

I will tell you, I have darned 5 pairs of socks

 and have 4 more pair yet to do!

I also saved what beans we harvested just to eat as beans

so have been shelling/cleaning those.

That has to be one of the most boring jobs ever,

but there's time to do it.

And I'm grateful for them.

We had such a strange summer with that "heat dome"

our garden and canning seemed off for the whole of summer.

I also finished the hand quilting

 of a quilt I started some time back.

I have 2 potholders to stitch the binding on and

another pair of socks started.

The first pair of socks I made (for me) fit my dad!

He likes them, says they are warm.  

I'm glad they were green and not pink and purple.

I am almost to the heal of the new sock.

The chickadees are still about and flutter around the feeder

where I can see and enjoy them.

We've now only traces of dirty snow where it was drifted.

Most of it is gone so everything looks grey.

It makes me want to sit and drink tea and read a book,

which I have done a little bit of.

I relish a good read and cup of tea time.

I've been reading "nice" books as a bit of a counter 

to all that is heard elsewhere.

Near my chair are:

"Country Chronicles" by Gladys Taber

"The New England Butt'ry Shelf Almanac" 

by Mary Mason Campbell

"Southern Jack Tales" by Donald Davis

I might start the second book in "The Little House" series.

I read the first book which was good.

I learned that she had originally written it for adults with a lot more description but was told by publishers that it was too dark.

So she rewrote it as she did aimed towards children.

Though dark, it makes me wonder if those original manuscripts still exist somewhere.

Her life wasn't easy.  What lessons we could learn.

And what gratitude it might provoke.

And lastly, I have open to read online, 

"The Lady's Annual Register and Housewife's Memorandum Book

for 1838" by Caroline Gilman

This is an interesting piece in that it will have a recipe,

a bit of poetry, instructions on how to clean a specific item,

information about a ladies' group, etc.

It seems very random but makes for quick reading if you only have a short time.

And since typing the above and having it nearly ready,

I came down with the virus.

It literally flattened me.

I am still recovering but am thinner and weaker at the moment.

I am slowly trying to get my house back in order.

It's amazing how those little things we do daily 

to keep the house all add up.

It will get there.

The perk of sleeping for 2 weeks straight is that I spent

zero dollars for 2 weeks.

Talk about saving money :-)

I am seeing how long I can go without any "extra" purchases,

meaning I will obviously pay our power or get milk etc. 

but no extra things.

We now have only 2 days until February 

and somehow as cold as the month is, 

it seems warmer with endearments since St. Valentine's Day

is a couple weeks in.

When the children were little,

we did an advent to St. V Day.

They loved it.

I've always liked St. Valentine's Day.

Love, Chocolate, & Flowers~

What's not to love?

I prefer to do my "Holiday" baking in February

because there is nothing else going on.

In December, we are always over extended so I don't like to 

add more to the list during that time.

Hopefully, I will be able to share what goodies 

I decide upon as it gets closer.

Until then,

keep well and warm dear friends. 

Of Tea & Labels

Okay dear friends.

Time for something pleasant.

I know coffee gets all the glory,

but tea really is a lovely drink.

It seems I'm always trying new teas.

My favorite tea was "lemon blossom" 

which was discontinued several years ago now.

Since then, I've stuck with mint tea but have searched

for a new favorite tea that I actually really enjoy and look forward to.

There are some pretty spendy teas out there!

Many of them don't taste like they should be spendy at all.

Well, I finally found not just a tea, but several

that I really savor.

Each one I've tried, I've loved!

Where?  

Hummingbird Tea

I think I've tried six or seven of their teas and

have purchased six of them so far. . . 

and there's another I want to try - citrus chill.

I am not connected with them and I don't get any payment from them

for saying these things.

I just really like their teas and appreciate finding them.

Of all their teas I've tried, I would describe them

as "whole flavors."

So often it seems like there is something missing (like flavor).

These taste complete.

So like I said, I've ended up with half dozen different teas.

I've had these bailor jars for ages.

I purchased them at a dollar store long ago,

and they've come in handy.

I decided they would be good for the teas.

I think they are as pleasing to look at as to drink - 

well, almost.

Many of you might have figured out by now 

that I'm more about function than about fashion.

I like things to look nice,

but when it comes down to it, it has to function

and be as usable as ever.

Weeeeellll. . . . story time 

Some time back, I purchased some attractive

reusable labels to give as a gift.

They were actually for my mom who loves lavender.

The labels are good quality and very pretty.

My mom loved them.

Where did I get these great labels?

I knew you'd ask.

Mistress of the House

(Again not affiliated)

But wait, that's not the end of the story.

So Jes has a way of making things beautiful.

She takes those extra steps and it shows.

When I received the labels for my mom,

there were also a few extras in the form of samples.

Those teas above in the bailor jars needed labels

and they were handy so I wrote 

the name of the tea and put them on the jars.

I used a fine point permanent marker.

If I ever want to change them,

a quick spritz with hairspray wipes it clean.

Hairspray also works for getting permanent marker out of jeans.

Don't ask me how I know that.

Anyways, those little samples worked!

I like that they are a nice quality unlike the little paper stickers.

End story: I ordered some for me and some more for Christmas gifts.

My family is to the point in life that we really don't need "things."

So we try to give smaller things that can be used or consumed.

These are perfect!

I am having so much fun using them.

They are both functional and beautiful.

Pantry stocking this time of year can be wearing.

I am still working on the tail end of tomatoes

and will be dehydrating greens and cidering some apples

within the next week.

It's pretty easy, for me at least, to just get the stuff canned

or jarred and not label it (for shame!)

I know - that's bad.

These are certainly handy and if I'm sipping tea

while I'm canning or prepping foods,

it makes for a much nicer time.

I've been on the go quite a bit lately,

but I wanted to post something nice.

These are the items that came to mind first.

They are things I am grateful for~

I hope you enjoy them.

 

September~

 It's September~

Can you believe it?

September is that nondescript month without a season.

It makes up for it with all its activities.

For me, it's a time to preserve.

The gardens are growing in full force since the Heat Dome dispersed.

I've done pretty well this year so far.

The heat made things a little wonky, but it all somehow works out.

Now I'm down to tomatoes.

I was completely out of sauce and down to 5 jars of diced.

That's only 2-3 meals of diced for us depending upon what's cookin'.

I did not photoshop this pix.  They really look like that 😂

So I am trying to get them canned up while I can.

I have reusable lids so am getting used to those on things 

that only require water bath canning just in case of operator error.

During the 2 months of triple digit weather,

anything outside wilted about as quickly as the sun rose.

By the time the weather broke, most flowers at the markets 

were marked down for quick sale.

I happened upon some of them and rescued them from their

garbage bin destiny.

They have thanked me in the most generous way.

Their blooms are beautiful and though my little area

is still a work in progress, it is a welcome spot.

And I am thankful I was able to have a few flowers

to brighten the area even if a little later than usual.

My bean wall took forever to get going but now is going crazy.

The bean blossoms are usually white and some have been, 

but we are also seeing these beautiful spice colored flowers.

I think I have 3 different kinds of beans in here due to

them being eaten in the spring.

I have potatoes to dig and will be rearranging the raised beds 

before next year.

I have another idea for next year (heehee, go ahead and shake your head.)

And lastly, I started this post the beginning of the month,

but we've been hoppin'.

Hubby had a goal of 60 gallons of salsa this year.

We have currently made 99 quarts.

I had to chime in and tell him he can't hog all the tomatoes.

I still need more sauce.

Our pepper plants are going like gang-busters also,

and he doesn't want them "to go to waste."

I told him we could freeze some poppers to use some up.

I will get this posted and hopefully be able to put together

a more reasonable post soon.

Hope each of you is enjoying the turning of the leaves.